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Figures released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have revealed that 11,465 homes were sold by councils under the right to buy scheme in 2017/18, while only 4,944 were started or acquired to replace them using the receipts.

Since right to buy discounts were increased in April 2012 66,647 homes have been sold, while 17,911 have been started or acquired to replace them

Chartered Institute of Housing chief executive Terrie Alafat CBE said “It cannot be right that not only are we not building enough homes for social rent, we are losing them at a time when we need them more than ever. Our analysis shows that we have lost more than 150,000 social rented homes between 2012 and 2017 due to right to buy and other factors, and that figure will reach 230,000 by 2020 unless we take action now.

The best way to speed up housing delivery is to get more small builders back into the market and focus more attention on the potential of smaller sites, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Brian Berry Chief Executive of the FMB, said “Small sites tend to deliver more quickly and smaller builders, for whom short term financing is more of a concern, have every incentive to build and sell quickly. More opportunities for these smaller developments will diversify the market, boost capacity and speed up delivery. The Government has clearly recognised this, and is setting out a raft of changes to national planning policy that will encourage more small sites to come forward. We particularly welcome the move to ensure that at least 20% of the sites identified for housing in local authority’s plans are smaller sites.

Secretary of State for Communities, The Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, has confirmed a massive funding boost for social housing across the country.

Over £1bn has been secured in the social housing deal, which will deliver 23,000 affordable homes across the UK through a new generation of council housing. The funding is aimed at helping solve the housing crisis and provide the country with the homes communities need.

Some £1.67bn will be invested in providing more than 23,000 new affordable homes, including at least 12,500 social rent homes in high cost areas in a move to support families struggling to pay their rent.

New ‘Solving the Housing Crisis?’ programme examines the contribution social housing makes to our society and what the government can do to support people in need of a home.

Terrie Alafat CBE, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said "Can we really call ourselves a civilised society if we are not providing affordable homes for people who need them?"

Interviewed exclusively for 'Solving the Housing Crisis?', a news and current affairs-style programme created by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and ITN Productions, Terrie Alafat also championed the work of local authorities and housing associations.

A review of house building has called for changes to the current system to ensure new homes are built faster and for thousands more British bricklayers to be trained to help meet government targets.

Sir Oliver Letwin was commissioned by the government to examine what could be done to speed up the slow rate of house building on major sites.

His study, published today, warns developers are slowing the system down by limiting the number of new built homes that are released for sale at any one time.

Government figures taken from 'Quarterly Right to Buy Sales in England: October to December 2017-18’ show dwindling numbers of social housing under the Right to Buy scheme. 

The data shows: 

• that in the last year, 11,649 social homes have been sold off – while only 4,566 social homes are being built
• this means only one social home is being built for almost every three sold

Campaigns Director for housing and homelessness charity Shelter, Greg Beales said “These dismal figures show that at a time when more families than ever need affordable homes, their chances of getting one are being wrenched away.

A shocking four in ten people (43%) in Britain live in homes which fail to meet the ‘Living Home Standard’ – a measure of what makes an acceptable home.

Designed to be the housing equivalent of the Living Wage, the new Living Home Standard was developed by the public, for the public through a series of discussion groups, workshops and surveys. For the first time it revealed a measure of what everyone should have from a home in order to live, rather than just get by.